(Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Monday January 27, 2020

Jan 27, 2020 | 9:48 AM

The leaders of the federal parties are being urged to support the new North American free trade deal.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland sent a letter to the Conservatives, N.D.P., Bloc Quebecois and Greens on the eve of the return of the House of Commons asking for their support to ratify the deal.

The fate of numerous sectors, including the auto industry, agriculture and manufacturing were on the line in the talks between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

The Conservatives said they don’t want to play games with the legislation but want to study what impacts it will have and how the government will mitigate them.

The Bloc Quebecois and N-D-P have signalled they’re in no rush to finalize the new continental trade pact.

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A multidisciplinary team of scientists working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc is set to launch an economic and environmental survey of pork producers.

The Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability is designed to validate research that shows North American pork producers have made significant advances in reducing their environmental footprint and to analyse Canadian production systems and their use of resources.

University of Manitoba professor Dr. Mario Tenuta said they are targeting 400 independent producers but they’re also looking at corporate operations.

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Global food giant Nestlé has entered into a joint development agreement with a firm building a pea and canola protein production facility in Manitoba.

Merit Functional Foods is spending $65 million on the plant being built in Centreport.

Merit and its technology partner Burcon NutraScience said they will work with Nestlé to tailor the proteins that will be produced at the facility for use in meat and dairy alternatives.

Merit CEO Ryan Bracken said the plant-based protein movement is growing rapidly due to consumer demand.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.cca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF